


Remember...?

by thursday11



Category: Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan
Genre: Gen, I tried fluff, not necessarily cralt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:22:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24863761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thursday11/pseuds/thursday11
Summary: One summer evening, Halt and Crowley get lost in memories of their youth.
Relationships: Crowley Meratyn & Halt O'Carrick
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20
Collections: Ranger's Apprentice Summer Fluff 5K





	Remember...?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ThefirstRanger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThefirstRanger/gifts).



> Dear ThefirstRanger, I once again apologize for the technical problems that occurred. I had to go to the library to finish this. Anyway, I tried to to fulfill the idea and I hope you'll enjoy this.

The fire was crackling and they playful flames danced as they cast light around the campfire. It was a nice summer evening with a gentle breeze rustling the leaves, accompanied by the familiar orchestra of crickets and cicadas. The sun was setting down and first of the stars peered out of the growing darkness from the east. It was a nice evening indeed, Crowley thought to himself as he smiled and leaned further into Halt’s embrace.

Soon, he could feel his friend’s gentle fingers carding through his long hair, carefully untangling the artful complex of braids and knots Halt himself braided the morning before. Crowley closed his eyes and let his mind bask in the soft tones of a hibernian lullaby that Halt was humming quietly.

Just like the old days.

“Halt?”

“Hmm?”

“I think we’re getting old,” Crowley murmured sleepily, as the flames bathed his face in gentle warmth.

He could feel Halt’s body shake a little in a slight scoff. “And here I was, thinking you might actually say something wise or meaningful.”

The ginger-haired ranger had to resist the urge to sit up. “I mean… How many more moments like this we’re ever gonna get? It’s not like we are in our twenties, trying to overthrow some corrupted baron.”

His friend stayed silent, drawing soothing circles in his hair. Crowley sighed and opened his eyes to see Halt’s gazing far, far away. Into the past.

“Remember that sunset over the Silvercreek hill?” Halt suddenly spoke up softly, almost wistfully. 

Crowley closed his eyes again, picturing the beautiful sunset that he and his friend had witnessed all those years ago. He could almost feel the golden light piercing through his eyelids, hear the playful chirping of the birds and sense the kind scent of daisies all around them. “Yes, I’ll always carry that memory.”

He chuckled as another memory of that evening came into his mind. “Especially after I had the chance to see how that one squirrel scared you almost to death and the last bits of respect for the ‘mysterious Hibernian’ I had just dissolved into the air.”

“First of all,” Halt started, “that squirrel was a vicious beast which you started to feed with biscuits so it’s your fault.”

“Well, to be honest with you, I don’t that someone who shrieked like a little girl, which is what gave me a scare, has the right to accuse poor little cute squirrel of being a ‘vicious beast’,” Crowley countered with a spark in his tone.

“I didn’t shriek,” Halt huffed and looked away.

“Ohh, I think that whole Meric fief would beg to differ. They still think to this day that the hill is haunted by some young maiden vengeful spirit.”

Halt scoffed and refused to comment further. The evening was too nice for it, and even though he would never admit it to his friend, he himself sometimes chuckled when he remembered the innkeeper who warned them about the haunted hill with fright in his eyes, as he told them the latest trending theory of who might the ghost actually be. 

They fell into a comfortable silence again, both sailing through the seas of memories of their young days.

Crowley smiled at one memory. “Remember that one night at Caraway?”

He could sense the grimace that now appeared on his friend’s face. “Of all things you suddenly bring up this?”

The ginger-haired ranger shrugged. “When you think about it, it was actually pretty fun. After all, we laughed in the end.”

“You laughed, I did not.”

“But you wanted to,” Crowley held up a finger and raised one eyebrow. “And don’t pull this stone face mask crap on me. Your shoulders were shaking.”

“It was fricking winter and we landed in a fricking moat filled with a fricking freezing mud!”

Crowley sat up. “Well, we wouldn’t if you were actually focusing on the plan instead of your date with Pauline.”

“It wasn’t a date,” Halt replied evenly, but he could feel his ears turning red betraying him.

“Oh come on, you’re married for ten years now. Stop acting like some teen virgin.”

“Everything would be totally fine if you just wouldn’t barge in with that bleating little goat into that chamber!” Halt countered but even he could feel himself slowly relaxing into a light smile.

“Well, I wouldn’t have to ‘barge in’ if you actually kept an eye on those documents. But you were all hot for your wife and left them in a stable.”

“How the hell could I know that some goat was going to eat them?”

Crowley threw his hands in the air. “You could just take them with you. Yes, you would look like an idiot in front of Pauline, since it was her who told you to take care of it in time, but at least we wouldn’t end up the moat.”

“Well, I wouldn’t end up in that moat if you haven’t grabbed my arm when we were running.”

“Ohh, yes, your highness,” Crowley jokingly mocked. “because us, lowly commoners just can’t grab a hand for help when we are tripping while trying to outrun the guards together.”

“But why the hell were you still holding that goat?” Halt cried out exasperatedly while pinching his nose.

“I couldn’t just leave Johnny back there. He was terrified,” Crowley pursed his lips.

“You named it?”

“Yes. But you looked to frustrated back then so I thought that if I kept him and brought him on our travels, you would just roast him on the first campfire.”

Halt looked his friend straight in the eye. “You’re joking, right?”

“Oh, not at all.”

The black-haired ranger just sighed deeply and took a deep breath. “I have no idea why ever I could think you’d be a suitable commandant of the Corps.”

Crowley grinned and poked Halt. “At least my documents don’t get eaten by goats.”

His friend just huffed. “Hah, maybe, but at least don’t pretend you don’t remember how those yearly reports from all rangers ended up covered in Cassandra’s handprints and drawings.”

Crowley opened his mouth, his face all red and then closed it again, taking a long breath. “Listen. I was tired, all right? It’s not my fault I sort of became her lowkey official babysitter.”

Halt just smirked. “Ohh? One would say that you were actually very protective of that role.”

His friend just held up his hands in a placating gesture. “She was a cute and adorable kid, alright? I need just a little shut-eye. And I was young.”

“So you thought that giving crayons to a little girl in a room full of paper was a good idea?”

“I thought she’s gonna stick to those clean papers I gave her!” Crowley exclaimed frustratedly. “I had no idea…”

Halt chuckled a little as his mind drifted to the time he was transporting baby Will to Redmont. He had had no idea either. And he had been in for a hell of surprises.

“You were the only she hadn’t cried with,” Halt said softly, aware of the unique father and daughter relationship between his friend and the princess. “Even Duncan could never put her to sleep like you did.”

Crowley’s face lit up in a gentle smile, his eyes gazing far away in time as he almost felt cradling the little princess in his arms. “The little she-devil.”

His friend leaned back again against the log and opened his arms in embrace once more and Crowley contentedly snuggled up to him once again. Both of them sat in comfortable silence, listening to each other’s breath, both lost in the fond memories they carried in their hearts. 

Memories of watching countless, yet each unique sunsets together.

Memories of the gentle hugs and soft kisses.

Memories of hellos and goodbyes.

Memories of morning coffees and loving smiles.

Memories of fortunes and misfortunes.

Memories of flower-filled meadows and deep woods.

Memories of friends and campfires.

Memories of family.

“I am happy to be growing old,” Halt suddenly whispered. 

“Hmm?” Crowley perked up a little, patiently waiting for his friend’s response.

“Because it’s with you and Pauline…”

Crowley smiled a little and his hand found Halt’s and gently squeezed it. “We may be getting old, but those memories never are.”

Memories they will always carry with them in their hearts.

Until the very end.


End file.
